Ballistics investigators can determine if a weapon was used in a shooting by test-firing a gun recovered at a scene and comparing the markings on the bullets.

The FBI would not comment on the possibility of friendly fire in the shooting east of Bisbee, citing the sensitivity and ongoing nature of the investigation.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said the conditions agents encounter in the borderlands can be confusing.

"It's pitch dark, it's in the canyons, you're already apprehensive about being there in those conditions, then two groups run into each other," Estrada said. "Only the people who are there at that time can really say what the situation is like."

The news of the possibility of friendly fire emerged on the same day Mexican authorities publicly acknowledged they have two suspects in custody who were arrested early Tuesday.

The arrests occurred about five miles south of the shooting scene and hours later, but investigators have so far not confirmed any connection to the shooting.

In this undated photo provided by the Ivie family, Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie is seen. Ivie, a 30-year-old father of two, was shot and killed in the sparsely populated desert in southeastern Arizona early Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012.

Just like Islamic mobs being motivated to attack an embassy by an obscure 12 minute internet video clip, or the unemployment rate suddenly dropping the furthest it has in 30 years, or Obama losing a debate because of the altitude are all possibilities, too.

Is there , or is there not , confirmation that Border Agent Ivie was armed with DHS directed “Bean-bag gun “ ?
This incident occurred 5 miles inside the U.S. Border .

I make this inquiry as 2 years previously , Border Agent Brian Terry was armed with a DHS “bean-bag gun” , and was shot and killed 30 miles inside the U.S. Border .
Hopefully DHS has begun to realize that a Border Agent’s life is in jeopardy in the two interviening years.

Another Theory: If friendly fire, when the Agents came under fire from the rip crew the female Agent, the uninjured Agent, riding drag panicked and started shooting and the other Agents were in her line of fire. Not saying it happened that way, just a scenario.

We shall see as details are sketchy and you know how things get twisted.

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